The Prince Influence: 7 Women Whose Lives Were Shaped by the Legend

We were deeply saddened to hear that musical legend Princepassed away earlier today. He leaves a lasting legacy in the music world and beyond. During his nearly 40 years in the limelight, Prince also affected several artists by collaborating with them, often writing under pseudonyms. And he gained quite the reputation for bringing many young female artists under his wing as protégés. Here, six women—and one band—whose careers, lives, and even names were shaped by the music icon.

VanityAfter a chance encounter at the 1980 American Music Awards, Prince selected Canadian model/actress/singer Vanity to be the front of his all-girl music group. Vanity was born Denise Matthews, but Prince took it upon himself to rename his protégé. His first suggestion, however, did not go over well. "He wanted me to call myself Vagina," she told People in 1984. "He said people would know me nationwide. I said, 'No kidding.'" Matthews fronted Prince's all-woman ensemble Vanity 6, and they had a hit with their second single, "Nasty Girl." In 1983, she departed from the group to launch a solo music career and further pursue her acting endeavors. She passed away earlier this year, at the age of 57, due to renal failure.

Sheila E.Prince first met Sheila E.—birth name Sheila Escovedo—in 1978 while backstage at one of her concerts. Upon their initial encounter, he allegedly told the singer that he and his bassist "were just fighting about which one of us would be the first to be your husband." A skilled musician, Escovedo was instrumental to the recording of Prince's groundbreaking 1984 album Purple Rain and opened for the singer on his subsequent Purple Rain tour. She continued to collaborate with Prince throughout the '80s while simultaneously finding success as a solo artist.

ApolloniaAfter Vanity's departure from Vanity 6, Prince tapped another model/actress/singer to be her replacement: Patricia Apollonia Kotero. Known by the mononym Apollonia, she costarred with Prince in his 1984 film, Purple Rain, and the girl group was renamed Apollonia 6. The group recorded only one album, and their demo of the Prince-penned song "Manic Monday" was passed over in favor of another group (but more on that later). After departing from Apollonia 6 (and Prince's inner circle) in 1985, she went on to land a recurring role on the CBS soap opera Falcon Crest and launch an entertainment company. She was also name-dropped by Kanye West in his 2007 hit, "Stronger."

The BanglesIn 1986, girl group The Bangles released "Manic Monday," which would go on to become their first hit single. The writer of the song? Prince, under the pseudonym Christopher. A profile of the band in People that same year credited Prince as the group's "most prominent admirer." The article goes on to say: "For the last two years, he's turned up at their shows at Hollywood's Palace and slipped backstage afterward. While they were writing songs for their second album, he sent a tape of 'Manic Monday' and they appropriated the song immediately. 'Prince really likes the way [our version] sounds,' says Susanna (who denies the rumors that she was romantically involved with him)." "Manic Monday" hit number two on the Billboard Hot 100 that year, only outsold by Prince's own "Kiss."

Tipper GoreAfter hearing the sounds of Prince's 1984 song "Darling Nikki" coming from her young daughter's stereo, Tipper Gore (the now ex-wife of then Senator Al Gore) sprung to action to prevent other children from being scandalize by the sexually charged pop music of the day. In 1985, she and three other women—known collectively as the "Washington wives" due to their marriages to powerful government insiders—joined together to form the Parents Music Resource Center committee and published the "Filthy Fifteen," a list of songs they deemed most offensive. Number one on the list: "Darling Nikki." After a series of Senate hearings, the PMRC found success in their mission and the record industry agreed to label albums with a "Parental Guidance: Explicit Lyrics" sticker.

Sinead O'ConnorThough O'Connor was already an established artist, her 1990 cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" (plus its haunting video) launched her into international smash hit territory. Her relationship with Prince, however, was a tumultuous one, and O'Connor alleges that their disagreements once turned violent. "I did meet him a couple of times," O'Connor said in 2014. "We didn't get on at all. In fact we had a punch-up."

Carmen ElectraVanity was not the only female protégé Prince renamed. In 1991, Prince met an aspiring performer from Ohio named Tara Patrick. After auditioning for another all-girl group Prince was putting together, Tara was signed on to a solo recording contract with Prince's Paisley Park Records. He then encouraged her to change her name to Carmen Electra, reportedly because he said it suited her better. As we all know, Carmen's singing career did not last long, but a few years later she'd be sporting a certain red swimsuit that really kicked her career off.